Conveying system



M81611 1929- w. D. STOCKLY ET AL CONVEYING SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Filed Nov. 14, 1925 Marh 1929- w. D. STOCKLY ET AL 1,706,905

CONVEYING SYSTEM Filed Nov. 14, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 1929- w. D. STOCKLY ET AL CONVEYING SYSTEM Filed Nov. 14, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS W AL Patented Mar. 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1 1,706,905 PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER 1). sTocxLY, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, AND EVERETT DRENNEN, or

BRo xvILLE, NEW onx.

CONVEYING SYSTEM.

Application file-51' November 14, I925.

The present invention relates broadly to material handling apparatus, and more par ticularly to apparatus of this character in the formof conveyors adapted for the handling and removing of coal and the like from mines, although the utility of the invention is not limited with respect to the particular use to which it is put or the material being handled; p

A conveyor system for mining, or for-other operations in which the loadingpoint moves relatively to the discharging pointymust be capable of being lengthened or shortened from timeto time as the loading point recedes from or approaches the discharge point. At still greater time intervals the entire system must be capable of removal bodily to other positions, or a new locus of operations. Extendible'and movable conveyor systems have heretofore been proposed, but they have been objectionable or deficient either with respect to portability or with respect to efficiency of operation when running with a light load, i. e., with a shortenedconveyor,

More particularly in the art of coal mining, it has been customary to construct special systems for differentoperations or conditions of operation. Such a practice has been objectionable not only due to the non-flexibility of the system from an operatingstandpont, but from the disadvantages with respect to power consumption averaged over the entire period of time during which the system is in use, With systems of special construction,

it has been necessary, accordingto priorprac tices, to provide a centralized drive capable of handling the maximum load imposed on the system. \Vhen the system has been considcrably shortened, or when the load is at a minimum, the conveyor is overpowered, thereby involving an unnecessary expend-iture of energy. On the other hand, when operating under a full load, the strain on the entire length of conveyor by reason of the centralized drive has been notonly objectionable with respect to such units but has been a determining factor in limiting the length thereof. I

Attempts have heretofore been made to overcome this difliclulty byconstructing special systems embodying a distributed drive, which driving means have been definitely'and fixedly located wherebyoperating flexibility has not been possible. The objections before referred to with. respect to power consnmp' Serial 'No. 69,056.

tion, flexibility and adaptability to awide variety of uses and positions have also been inherent in constructions of this character.

The present invention has for one of its objects the provision of a conveying system of extremely flexible nature from an operating standpoint in that it is adapted to be lengthened or shortened at will by predetermined unit lengths, the system comprising a plurality-0f separable unit sections removable and replaceable at will, certain of the sections being adapted for substitution for and addition to other unit sections at will and comprising driving means preferably constituting a unitary part of such sections and movable therewith.

- Another object of the present invention is to provide a conveyor system capable of almost universal use, and notonly much lighter and more convenient to handle than systems heretofore employed but also "having a possible range of operation not limited with respect to variations in load-or in the length of the system.

I lVit-h the above objects in View,-our invention contemplates an improved sectional uni-t arrangement and construction, and a conveyor system formed of a plurality of such units arranged in series, end to end. The improved sectional unit preferably comprises a frame carrying an endless conveyor and, where desired, having permanently incorporated therein and bodily removable therewith, a suitable driving mechanism. The endless conveyor is of such nature that it is adapted to be disconnected and its separated ends reunited with similarly separated ends of the conveyor of another section when the frames of two such sections are aligned in series and secured in abutting relationship. To this end the conveyor preferably comprises reticulated pans or other -load carrying elements, the oin'ts between the pans or other elements being of such nature that the conveyor canbe broken atany point for the purpose referred to, and the dimensions of the individualelements bearing a definite relation to the construction of the frame of each section.

It is further contemplated that sections of the general character referred to shall be connected to or disconnected from other sections to produce a continuous unbroken conveyor of any desired length, the power fordriving the conveyor being tarnished by one or more driving units carried by the individual sec tions and located as required for the most effective operation of the conveyor. The driving n'ieans for the driving units may comprise suitable driving shafts permanently incorporated in. the frames of the driving units whereby they bear a definite relation to the conveyor or section of conveyor carried thereby, the shafts being extended an dv cooperating with a suitable source of power such. as an electric motor, the motors being connectedv by suitable wiring to a comn'ion source of electric energy, such as a central power station.

In the accompanying drawings there are shown, for purposes of illustration only, certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, it being I'llltlOlStUOtl that the drawings do not deliue the limits thereof and that changes may be made in the construction and operation disclosed without departing from the spirit of our invention or the scope of our broader claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a sectional unit constructed in accordance with our invention, the unit being illustrated as in operative relation to a portion of an adjacent unit;

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line II-II of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the construction illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure at is a detail view in vertical longitudinal section showing an alternative construction of conveyor pan;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic side elevational view illustratin another form of conveyor in accordance with the present invention Figure 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the head section of the conveyor illustrated in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view illustrating the construction of the load carrying elements Figure 8 is a perspective view illustrating the construction and manner of assembly of the shafts and rollers for the conveyor;

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic top planviow illustrating the cooperating relationship of a driving unit with an adjacent unit;

Figure 10 is a side elevational view of the constructi-(m illustrated in Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line KIXI of F igure 10 looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Figure 12 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line XHXII of Figure 10 looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the ei'nbodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, the frame for each of the unit sections may comprise transversely extending sleepers 1, longitudinal sills or girders 2, and vertical corner posts 3. A number of vertical posts 4 may also be distributed along both sides of the 'trame intermediate 1th ends to give added strength and to provide a support for the driving and connecting elements hereinafter described.

Secured to the inner sides of the upper and lower girders 2, are rails or angle irons having a tread. portion 5, and vertical. retaining flanges (5. At the ends of the section the upper rails curve downwai lly on a radius which brings the ends 7 of the operating rail to a point spaced from and above the lower rails.

The conveyor is illustrated in these figures s made up of shallow metal. pans with flat bottoms 8 and side walls 9. ()n the ends of the bottomsSthe reare formed lingers 10 which are bent around to constitute hinge knuckles on one pan cooperating with similar knuckles on an adjacent pan, the hinges being com pleted by pins 11 on the ends of which are mounted carrying rollers 12. These rollers are adapted to travel on the tread portions of the tracks 5, above andv below, and also on the curved end portions of said tracks. At the lefthand end, the lower rail picks up the rollers 12 as they sag from the ends of the upper rail, and at the righthand end the rollers are raised from the lower rail and again drawn upwardly against the upper rail as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1. The number and length. ofthe pans is so calculated that a given number thereof can be linked together to form an endless conveyor of the proper length for operation on the tracks of a single section and the longitudinal dimensions of the frames are so calculated that, when the ends of two frames are abutted, and the hinge between two pans adjacentthe abutting end of one frame is broken by withdrzuving the pin 11, the ends of the belt thus separated may be swung upwardly and outwardly as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 and coupled with the ends of the belt or conwzyor carried by an adjoining section. It will be noted that in thus connecting the conveyors of adjoining sections, the total length of the belt must be shortened by the omission of two pans from one or the other of the sections.

For driving the conveyor there is preferably provided driving means builtin one or more of the sections and bodily removable therewith. This driving means preferably comprises a shaft 1r journaled atits nds in vertical frame posts t and carrying a sprocket 15. This driving means may be operated in. any desired manner asby a motor 13 transmitting power thereto in any preferred way as by belts 16 and 17 and an intermediate step-up pulley 18. A second sprocket 19 may be similarly mounted on a shaft 20 and driven from the sprocket 15 by an endless chain 21. At suitable intervals this chain is provided with special links 22 having outwardly projecting lugs 23 adapted to engage projections 24 rigidly secured to thebottoms of the pans 8. As shown,the

Y axes wholly below the bottom'of the pans and lugs 23 engage the projections 24 both on the upper and lowerruns of the conveyor, thus driving both the working and returning runs thereof. By this arrangement the driving connection with the conveyor is situated intermediate the ends of the frame and the.

driving lugs engage the driven projections at points which are relatively far apart as compared with driving connections ofthe prior art. This construction constitutes a valuable feature of our invention and plays an im portant part-in enabling us to drive a conveyor comprising a plurality of sections at a plurality of distributed points. The reason for this is that the drivii' g connections of the prior art, usually comprisinga sprocket at one end of the frame meshing with the chain to which the conveyor elements are secured, cannot be conveniently.adapted to drive the belt at intermediate points. Moreover, the driving connection of the present invention permits the employment of a simpler belt construction, the usual chain which forms one part of the driving connection-in the conveyors of the prior art being entirely dispensed with.

It will be understood that a complete sys tem in accordance with this embodiment of the invention may comprise any number of power unitsand any number of units'not having driving means incoporated therewith,the units being assembled in any desired arrangement, the invention contemplating the insertion between power units of one or more sectional units substantially similar thereto but lacking the driving means.

In Figure 4 an alternative construction of thcpan hinges-is shown. In this modification, the projections 24; are not required, the hinge knuckles 10 being formed with their cooperating directly with the lugs In Figures 5 to 12 both inclusive there-is illustrated a modified, and for many purposes a preferred, form of the invention. In accordance with this embodiment of our invention, the entire conveyor comprises a plurality of units including drive sections-as before referred to, and idle sections assembled in end to end relationship. The idle sections may comprise tread section's, curved sections, head sections and tail sections, whereby sections for any required purpose are available. In Figure 5 of the drawings there illustrated in spaced relationship, and more or less diagrammatically, onescction of each of the types referred to, these sections beingrespectively from left to'right of the figure the head section '25, the curved section 26, the drive section 27, the straight section 28 andthe tail section 29.

Eachof-the sections comprises tracks 30 for the upper runofthe'eonveyor anclsimi-la r iar shafts and rolls 41.

which extends outwardly from the sides of the frames with one of the faces in substantial alignment with the ends of the frames. These outwardly projecting portions may be provided with openings 35, as illustrated in. detail in Figure 12, adapted to receive fastening means 36 passed therethrough and provided'with a key or other securing means 87 for holding the same in position. In this manner adjacent sections may be quickly connected or disconnected as re uired to permit the insertion or removal 0% sections, or the rearrangement thereof.

Each of the head sections is of special construction and includes a transversely extending shaft 38 carrying suitably shaped rolls I 39, around which the conveyor is adapted to 'trave'l,,while the tail sections comprise simi- If desired, the tail sections may also include adjusting means {2 for increasing or decreasing the tension on the conveyor by varying the distance between the centers of the respective shafts 38 and 40.

As clearly apparent from Figures 5,9, 10

and 11, the drive section at a point intermediate its length has the tracks 30 and 31 relatively spread to accommodate a driving means in the form of a shaft 43 journaled in the frame of the drive section and carrying star wheel driving sprockets 44. The tread I portions of the intermediate tracks 30 and 31 -may be cut away to provide pockets 45 into which the sprockets may project. For driving the shafts of the drive sections, there may be provided suitable means such as motors i6 operatively connected to the shafts through clutches 17, gearing 48 and couplings 19. This driving arrangement, and particularly the driving shaft 43, constitutes a component part of each drive section whereby the same is bodily removable with the section. It will be understood that, if desired, however, the motor supporting frame per se may be detachably carried by the frame of thedrive section, it being only essential that the driving means in the form of the shaft 43 and the sprockets 44 be actually built into the unit;

The conveyor may comprise a series of pans 50 having longitudinally extending straps 51 forming at their opposite ends hinge knuckles '52. The hinge knuckles on one pan co-operate with those of an adjacent pan-to permit the reception of a combined pin ed to receive a roller 54: on each end, the rollers preferably being detacliably secured in position by a washer 55 and a removable key 56, the keys cooperating with openings 57 in the ends of the shafts, as clearly apparent more particularly from Figure 8 of the drawings.

The rollers 54- are of such construction as to etiectively cooperate with the tracks 30 and 3i. and the tread portions thereof are of such width, as clearly shown in Figure 11, that a portion extends over the pockets 45 while another portion travels on the tracks adjacent these POCkOl S. This permits the star wheels st-l to directly engage the rollers 5i and thereby drive the conveyor. This obviates the necessity of providing special driving projections on the pans and at the same time provides a rolling contact between the driving means and the conveyor whereby f ,tion is reduced to a minimum.

It will be understood that any desired number of drive sections may be utilized in a single length, the drive sections cooperating with any desired arrangement and number of intermediate sections either straight or curved. Thus, as the conveyor is lengthened, additional drive sections may be added at will to distribute the driving strain in the most advantageous manner.

It will be further understood by those skilled in the art that the drive sections may or may not be of the same length as the other sections. In many cases, due to the additional weight of the built-in driving means, it is desirable to have the drive sections relatively shorter to make the handling thereof correspoiulingly easier. In all cases, however, their length must bear a definite relation to the length of the elements comprising the conveyor, to enable the desired insertion, substitution or addition of the drive sections.

The present application constitutes a continuation in part of our copending a JPllCfltion, Serial No. 501,222, filed Septem or 17, 1921.

The advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the foregoing to those skilled in the art. The arrangement permits flexibility of operation by reason of the possibility of extending the conveyor to any desired length practically without limitation, the total power required to drive the conveyor of a given length being proportionately distributed to a plurality of driving means located at spaced points. This obviates the use of a power unitat any point 'apable of driving a fully loaded conveyor when extended to its maximum length and therefore necessarily considerably less convenient to shift from place to place than a similar power unit of the character herein contemplated, and also less efficient when operating under less than the maximum load.

A further advantage is inherent in the minimization of the strain on the conveyor and transmission elements operatively connecting the same with the driving means as compared to the strain where power s ap: plied at asingle point or at a plurality of fixed predetermined points with a distributed drive along the length of the conveyor with each drive located as required by the particular operating conditions encountered, a desirable operating elliciency 1s insured, strain is reduced and wide variation in lead over varying distances is more effectively accomplished.

To claim:

1. A conveying system adapted to be lengthened or shortened at will by predetermined unit lengths, said system comprisinga plurality of separable unit sections, an endless conveyor common to all of said sections, said sections being removable and replaceable at will with a corresponding length in the common conveyor, certain of said sections be ing adapted for substitution for and addition to other unit sections at will and having built-in driving means bodily movable therewith, said driving means providing a distributed drive for said common conveyor.

2. A conveying system adapted to be lengthened or shortened at will by predetermined unit lengths, said system comprising a plurality of separable unit sections, an endless conveyor common to all of said sections, said sections being removable and replaceable at will with a corresponding length in the com mon conveyor, certain of said sections being adapted for substitution for and addition to other unit sections at will and having built-in driving means bodily movable therewith, said drivingmeans comprising a shaft extending transversely of said sections and journaled therein.

3. A conveying system adapted to be lengthened or shortened at will by predetermined unit lengths, said system comprising a plurality of separable unit sections, an endless conveyor common to all of said sections, said sections being removable and replaceable at will with'a corresponding length in the common conveyor, certain of said sections being adapted for substitution for and addition to other unit sections at will and having builtin driving means bodily movable therewith, said driving means comprising a shaft extending transversely ofsaid sections an ljou1= naled therein, there being motors positioned laterally of said sections for driving said shafts.

4. A conveying system adapted to be lengthened or shortened at will by predetermined unit lengths, said system comprising a plurality of separable unit sections including a head section, a curved section and straight sections all of which are removable and replaceable at will, at least one of said straight sections having a built-in driving: shaft bodily movable therewith, and an endless conveyor common to all of said sections.

A conveying system adapted to be lengthened or shortened at will by predetermined unit lengths, said system comprising a plurality of separable unit sections including ahead section, a curved section, a straight section and a driving section all of which are removable and replaceable at will, said driving section having built-in driving means bodily movable therewith, and an endless conveyor common to all of said sections.

6. A conveying system adapted to be hangthencd or shortened at will by predetermined unit lengths, said system comprising a plnrality of separable unit sections including a head section, a curved section, a straight section and a driving section all of which are removable and replaceable at will, said driving section having built-in driving means bodily movable therewith, said driving means comprising a shaft extending transversely of the sections and ournaled therein, and an endless conveyor common to all of said sections.

7. A conveying system adapted to be lengthened or shortened at will by predetermined unit lengths, said system comprising a plurality of separable unit sections includ ing a head section, a curved section, a straight section and a driving section all of which are removable and replaceable at will, said drivmg section having built-in driving means bodily movable therewith, said driving seetion and straight section being interchangeable at will, and an endless conveyor common to all of said sections.

8. A conveying system adapted to be lengthened or shortened at-will by predetermined unit lengths, said system comprising a plurality oi separable unit sections removable and replaceable at will, certain 01' said sections being adapted for substitution for and addition to other unit sections at will and having built--in driving means bodily movable therewith, and a common conveyor cooperating with said sections and with all oil driving means.

9. A conveying system adapted to be lengthened or shortened at will by predeterminet unit lengths, said system comprising a plurality of separable unit sections removable and replaceable at will, certain of said sections being adapted for substitution for and addition to other unit sections at will and havii'ig built-in driving means bodily movable therewith, and a common conveyor cooperating with said sections and with all of said driving means, said conveyor comprising a plurality of pivotally connected nnitload carrying members.

10. A conveying system adapted to be lengthened or shortened at will by predetermined unit sections, said system comprising a plurality of separable unit sections remov-- able and replaceable at will, certain of said sections being. adapted for substitution for and addition to other unit sections at will and having built-in-driving means bodily movable therewith, tracks on each of said sections, and a common conveyor cooperating with the tracks on all of said sections.

11. A conveying. system adapted to be lengthened or shortened at will by predetermined unit sections, said system comprising a plurality of separable unit sections removable and replaceable atwill, certain of said sections being adapted for substitution for and addition to other unit sections at will and having built-in driving means bodily movable therewith, tlilCh'S on each of said sections,

nd a common conveyor cooperating with all of said tracks, said driving means cooperating with both runs of the conveyor.

l2.- A conveying system adapted to be lengthened or shortened at will by predetermined unit lengths, said system comprising a plurality of separable unit sections includ ing a head section, a curved section, straight sections, a plurality of driving sections and a tail section all of which are removable and replaceable at will, said plurality of driving sections providing a plurality of distributed drives for said system, each of said driving sections being interchangeable at will with, one of said straight sections, and having a' built-in driving shaft bodily movable therewith, there being an endless conveyor common to all of said sections.

13. In a conveying system, a plurality of sections, a common extensible endless conveyor cooperating with all of said sections,

any of said sections with a predetermined length of said common conveyor being removable or replaceable at will, and driving means constituting a part oi? certain of said sections, and removable therewith, said driving means being etl'ective both on the working and returning runs of said conveyor, whereby a distributed drive at opposite parts of said conveyor and at any desired points throughout the length thereof may be established or destroyed at will by suitable substitution and positioning of the sections.

14. A conveying system adapted to be lengthened or shortened at will by predetermined unit lengths, said systen'l comprising a plurality of separable unit sections including a' head section,,a curved section, and straight sections, all of which are removable and replaceable at will and a common conveyor cooperating with all of said sections adapted to be lengthened or shortened at will, a plurality of said straight sections being distributed throughout the system and having built-in driving shafts bodily movable therewith to provide a plurality of distributed drives for said system.

15. A conveyor system comprising in combination, an endless conveyor adapted to be lengthened or shortened, and a supporting frame for said conveyor consisting of separable, bodily removable and replaceable sections, one or more of said sections having selfcontained separately operated driving units in operative relation to said conveyor, said driving units being incorporated in the structure of their respective sections individually when removed or for assisting similar sections when combined therewith.

16. A conveyor system according to claim 1, in which the driving, units consist of separately energizable electric motors.

17. A conveying system adapted to be lengthened or shortened at will by predetermined unit lengths, said system comprising a plurality of separable unit sections removable and replaceable at will, certain of said sections being adapted for substitution for and addition to other unit sections at will and having built in driving means bodily movable therewith, said driving means being efi'cctive both on the working and returning runs of i said conveyor whereby a distributed drive at opposite parts of the conveyor and at any de sired points throughout the length thereof may be established or destroyed at will by suitable substitution and positioning of said sections.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

XVALTER D. STOCKLY. EVERETT DRENNEN. 

